EP 14 - "Lethal Conversations"

[00:00:00] Welcome everyone to another episode of Rift Walkers. It's been a few, so we are going to re-roll for obligation and story points.

[00:00:10] To start things off hot, out of 100 I rolled 100. That means no one's obligation is activated. Lucky y'all.

[00:00:16] Sweet!

[00:00:17] However, I did get a dark side point for the GM pool.

[00:00:21] I also rolled a dark side point for the GM pool.

[00:00:24] I rolled a point for the GM pool.

[00:00:26] I rolled a point for the GM pool.

[00:00:27] And would you believe it, I also rolled a point for the GM pool.

[00:00:32] Well, I rolled a point for the player pool.

[00:00:34] Well, to not break form with the rest of the group, I also rolled one for the GM pool.

[00:00:39] Thank you for doing your civic duty to my benefit.

[00:00:43] You are not welcome.

[00:00:45] I know.

[00:00:47] Boom!

[00:00:48] Where we last left off.

[00:00:51] Following the short battle in the Ironwood Company's Fort upon Viridian,

[00:00:55] the party had subdued or killed a number of bandits who attempted to hold them up.

[00:01:01] The leader of these bandits, a Talic man named Iacomo, surrendered at the end of this confrontation

[00:01:07] after Finn transformed into a bestial, void-stricken form of himself.

[00:01:14] Those who witnessed this transformation, Iris, Captain Areas, and a few of the injured crew members that have helped secure the dead and injured bandits,

[00:01:22] they all just stand in shock at this sight, as Finn has just reprimanded Iris for using void magic so wantonly.

[00:01:29] Where everyone is placed, Bread and Finn are up on the wall with Iris.

[00:01:35] Captain Areas stands in the courtyard, gawking at the scene.

[00:01:38] Meanwhile, Sorako is still inside, mounted up where the bandits were defeated in the main hall,

[00:01:43] with Kel and Arnor just outside the gates, having apprehended Iacomo.

[00:01:49] Kai, who had taken up her sniper position in the fort, you have a chance to come down if you want to join the group.

[00:01:54] And Kai will do so.

[00:01:56] Inside the building, Sorako will dismount his horse, and he'll take some very unsteady breaths after what he just saw.

[00:02:08] Okay.

[00:02:11] Smacks himself on the cheek a little bit.

[00:02:13] Okay.

[00:02:14] Okay.

[00:02:15] And he will go out into the courtyard where he sees everybody else.

[00:02:20] What in Vale's Hills happened to you?

[00:02:22] It's a long story, but you do not need to worry.

[00:02:27] I'm still me.

[00:02:28] Would you care to tell it?

[00:02:29] I don't care how long it is I'd like to know.

[00:02:32] It's at this point that Finn kind of looks around and sees that everybody is staring at him,

[00:02:38] and he looks back down at himself, his hands, his fingers, the nails start to have like these little inklings of claws coming out of them,

[00:02:46] and they're just like absolutely showered in blood.

[00:02:50] Let's get everyone taken care of who needs to see some sort of medical attention,

[00:02:55] and we can go gather inside for story time.

[00:02:58] It's at this point that Kai finally reaches the rest of the group, and we'll start a slow, sarcastic clap, if that's even communicated.

[00:03:09] And we'll say, oh, wow, marvelous job, everyone.

[00:03:14] I like what you did there.

[00:03:16] Oh, I like the new look for you.

[00:03:17] And what exactly happened to you?

[00:03:21] His usual low grunt is accentuated to an actual like growl at this point, but he doesn't offer much more than that to Kai.

[00:03:32] Where's my cat back home?

[00:03:34] Anyways, we'll deal with that later.

[00:03:36] I think Kel would lean over to Arnor and like quietly enough that probably only him and Yakumo can hear,

[00:03:42] and she would say, is that not the most terrifying thing you've ever seen, or am I tripping?

[00:03:50] What, the body being cut in half or Finn's transformation?

[00:03:54] I'm talking about Finn specifically because I really don't know what's happening right now, and I'm trying not to freak out.

[00:04:01] Yakumo takes this opportunity to just like raise his hands and look between the two of them and is like,

[00:04:05] if it is all right with you, I would prefer if you just simply killed me now and not put me into the hands of a next kid.

[00:04:14] I can't say I blame him.

[00:04:16] I think that would genuinely make Kel laugh, and she might go, that's fair.

[00:04:19] We're not going to do that, though.

[00:04:21] Get up.

[00:04:22] She'd kick him and hope that he stands up.

[00:04:25] Finn won't do anything to hurt us.

[00:04:27] He seems to be in control.

[00:04:29] All right, I guess we'll start ushering him back towards the rest of the group.

[00:04:33] Finn will try to get himself off of this battlement, and he gives a glance over at Edith and just kind of shakes his head a little bit,

[00:04:42] and then he will actually try to go and start seeing if, are there any people who are injured from our group,

[00:04:48] any of the injured who are already injured, who still need to be like repositioned back into the thing.

[00:04:52] He's trying to be helpful, but people are likely shying away from him as he does so.

[00:04:57] Brett has definitely not taken his eyes off of Finn since Finn showed up.

[00:05:01] Like, if we're going into the fort, Brett will follow to make sure that Finn does not get up to any funny business.

[00:05:07] I also cannot describe how funny it is to me that it takes Finn turning into a literal monster for him to want to help other people.

[00:05:16] Because up until this point in the story, he has made no conscious effort to help everybody.

[00:05:22] Doesn't give a crap.

[00:05:23] First one on his horse, first one to leave us behind.

[00:05:25] He don't give a shit about the rest of us.

[00:05:27] The moment he turns into a nightmare, he's like, how can I help, guys?

[00:05:31] It's Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, but their personalities are reversed.

[00:05:37] After the initial shock is wearing off, everyone moves back into the main hall where the sick and injured can still be tended to.

[00:05:45] A couple of the bandits are alive, just unconscious, but Yakimo is himself conscious and alive.

[00:05:52] That's something that Finn realizes he goes back into the, like, great hall that no one else has really seen that except for Sirocco.

[00:05:59] And so he's trying to, like, hide that as best he can.

[00:06:04] Like, take the body blade in a more natural position.

[00:06:07] But it's just really awkward for everybody.

[00:06:10] I was about to say everybody's noticing this, obviously.

[00:06:14] Before we fully get together, Kel and maybe Arnor or whoever's free,

[00:06:19] we would go around and make sure that all of the still alive yet unconscious people were tied up somewhere.

[00:06:24] Just to make sure that they're all secured.

[00:06:26] After the last time, Captain Arraeus will actually assist with that.

[00:06:30] He'll look around to the lot of you and say,

[00:06:33] I sustained a couple wounds when these bandits came up from the bottom, but looks like you all handled yourselves well.

[00:06:40] Most of you.

[00:06:41] I'll just side-eye Finn.

[00:06:43] He doesn't notice.

[00:06:44] As this is all happening, I don't know if you guys left Yakimo unsupervised,

[00:06:49] but Kai will happily volunteer to watch him.

[00:06:52] And so she'll walk up to Yakimo and say,

[00:06:55] Just the man I was looking for.

[00:06:58] And she'll put her arm around him and kind of put her fingers,

[00:07:01] because she's gross like that,

[00:07:03] anyways, into his shoulder where she hit him with her arrow.

[00:07:07] Kel wince and, you know, blanche a bit and be like,

[00:07:10] Ah!

[00:07:11] He...

[00:07:13] What can Yakimo do for you?

[00:07:16] And Kai's going to ignore his pleadings to her and will yell to Kel,

[00:07:22] Don't worry about this one.

[00:07:23] I'll keep a good eye on him while you're gone.

[00:07:26] Kai, your interrogations were going to have to wait.

[00:07:30] We should probably discuss Finn's condition.

[00:07:33] Let's go find the others.

[00:07:34] Aw, always ruining my fun.

[00:07:37] Oh, no, I...

[00:07:38] It is a good idea.

[00:07:40] He will escape if we leave him down there, though.

[00:07:43] There's so much to keep an eye on him.

[00:07:45] Arreus, Seken, and the other crew members are all there.

[00:07:49] Okay.

[00:07:49] Captain Arreus, would you be a dear and please watch this one while we're gone?

[00:07:54] Aye, and make sure of it.

[00:07:56] And she'll give you a curt nod and we'll turn to join the rest of the group.

[00:08:01] Okay, everybody.

[00:08:02] Let's go on upstairs.

[00:08:03] Iris, are you coming?

[00:08:05] Uh, yes.

[00:08:09] What is this?

[00:08:10] Brett rolls his eyes.

[00:08:11] You kind of settle into that second floor just outside of the Landing Commons library area

[00:08:17] that Finn and Kel were poking around earlier.

[00:08:20] Would you like to tell your story now?

[00:08:22] It is not much to tell.

[00:08:24] You spend as much time around the void as I did in my career

[00:08:28] and perhaps dive a little too deep in extracurricular studies of void.

[00:08:37] Bad things happen.

[00:08:38] It is not so much a hindrance to my mental capacities as far as determining friend from foe,

[00:08:47] but it does limit me in some ways while making me more disgusting than others.

[00:08:56] Would you care to elaborate on that?

[00:08:58] Which part?

[00:08:59] See, downstairs she said it was a long story, and that wasn't very long.

[00:09:05] I think that is perhaps the longest sentence I have said in our entire grouping together.

[00:09:13] Ergo, long story.

[00:09:16] So, long as relative?

[00:09:18] Is that what you're trying to tell me?

[00:09:19] He just nods.

[00:09:20] And you can tell, like, compared to his normal slow speech,

[00:09:25] which is very evidently a choice to not share much,

[00:09:30] it does seem to be somewhat taxing on him to actually be coherently putting these words together.

[00:09:38] Do you need help getting put back to your normal state?

[00:09:41] No.

[00:09:42] Normally, after sufficient rest, a day or so, everything goes back to as it should be.

[00:09:50] Good.

[00:09:51] Eris says and just gives a little clap in front of her.

[00:09:53] Now, has that answered all of your questions?

[00:09:56] Can we go back to doing what is important?

[00:09:58] I know, for me, that answered all my questions.

[00:10:02] If Finn says we can still trust him, then I believe him.

[00:10:07] We still trust Finn.

[00:10:08] You in the group.

[00:10:09] And he'll give you, like, a thumbs up.

[00:10:11] As for what is important, we have the opportunity to get information from Yakumo.

[00:10:17] I think it might be good if we know what information we want to get before we talk with him.

[00:10:23] So, we present a strong face.

[00:10:27] You understand?

[00:10:29] So, we all are on the same page.

[00:10:32] Right.

[00:10:32] So, I suggest, if nobody else have any idea, that we figure out where his camp is,

[00:10:39] because his camp have supplies, maybe some money.

[00:10:46] We don't have supplies here.

[00:10:49] And so, without a boar hunt, like me and Kai supposed to do earlier today before he show up, we starve.

[00:10:58] So, I say we find his camp, take all of his food, and that's it for me.

[00:11:06] I think if he's an extortionist, I'd like to know who else he was extorting.

[00:11:09] Yeah, that's good.

[00:11:16] I think that probably gets a little chuckle out of Fred.

[00:11:20] In spite of everything.

[00:11:23] We could also ask him if he's had any experience with any of the vipers, but I imagine not.

[00:11:29] Probably be dead if he encountered any of them.

[00:11:31] Do you want to be in charge of interrogation, Siraco?

[00:11:34] Are you done talking to Yakimo?

[00:11:36] Oh, no.

[00:11:36] I would love the chance to talk with him.

[00:11:40] Love.

[00:11:42] If you would like, I can do interrogation in Felish.

[00:11:46] But it's easier for me if I do it in Talic.

[00:11:50] Lady Kai, I know you understand when I speak Talic.

[00:11:54] Everyone else, Iris, you understand to maybe somebody else who have secret Talic knowledge,

[00:12:00] but they no want to be my friend and not tell me.

[00:12:06] But if he's okay with everybody, I do in Talic.

[00:12:10] It's fine by me.

[00:12:11] Okay.

[00:12:12] It's settled then.

[00:12:13] Very good.

[00:12:13] Anything else I should ask him?

[00:12:15] We might have follow-ups depending on what he says, but I think that's a good start.

[00:12:18] I definitely think you should ask him how he knew we were here.

[00:12:22] I think most people in the area know how we were here after the beach.

[00:12:28] We not very...

[00:12:29] We can ask him.

[00:12:31] All right.

[00:12:32] Kel just kind of shakes her head in the corner.

[00:12:35] Okay.

[00:12:36] Uh, anything else to discuss here while we all together?

[00:12:41] I don't believe so, Sorako.

[00:12:43] Go ahead and start your interrogation.

[00:12:45] Okay.

[00:12:45] Sound good.

[00:12:46] And Sorako will stand up from his seat, head out the door.

[00:12:50] Uh, where is Yakumo?

[00:12:53] You put him in a room?

[00:12:54] He's downstairs with the others.

[00:12:55] Okay.

[00:12:56] I'll accompany you, Sorako, if it's all right with you.

[00:12:59] Oh, please.

[00:13:01] The more the merrier.

[00:13:02] It might actually be good if we did take him to a separate room away from the eyes and ears of the crew members and for his ilk should they come to.

[00:13:13] My thoughts exactly, Iris.

[00:13:16] Thank you for the suggestion.

[00:13:18] Kai, no killing.

[00:13:20] Cross my heart.

[00:13:21] I promise.

[00:13:23] Yakumo!

[00:13:24] Yakumo!

[00:13:24] We need you!

[00:13:26] Just starts yelling through the halls.

[00:13:30] And Sorako will start yelling and walking back to the common area to go retrieve Yakumo.

[00:13:36] And before long, he, Lady Kai, and Yakumo are all in a room secluded together.

[00:13:43] Anybody else that wishes to be present, maybe?

[00:13:45] Iris will be present, yes.

[00:13:47] Just real quick, as everybody left to go fetch Yakumo and Finn was left there with Kel and Bread and Arnor,

[00:13:56] he just kind of looks at each of them uneasily and then says,

[00:14:01] I'm going back to my room.

[00:14:02] And he's going to go back upstairs to that tower room where he spent the night.

[00:14:07] And I was going to say that if everyone has already left, if it's just Arnor and Bread left in the room,

[00:14:13] before anyone comes back or before we leave, Kel would probably pull Bread either aside.

[00:14:17] I don't think she minds if Arnor hears.

[00:14:19] So, Seth, if Arnor wants to hear this conversation, that's totally up to you.

[00:14:23] But Kel would pull Bread aside and kind of gesture vaguely to where Finn just maybe disappeared out the door and say,

[00:14:30] have you ever seen anything like that?

[00:14:33] I can't say that I have.

[00:14:34] Does it freak you out as much as it's freaking me out?

[00:14:37] It's unsettling, to say the least. That's putting it kindly.

[00:14:41] I wager in a terrible sort of horrible backwards roundabout way that I've seen worse.

[00:14:46] But I think I'll keep an eye on him, though.

[00:14:49] Please do.

[00:14:49] I trust everyone here, to some varying degrees.

[00:14:53] Maybe you and Arnor definitely more than others, so just...

[00:14:56] I'm a bit concerned about Finn, and he said some concerning things to me when we were alone.

[00:15:03] And I was just wondering if, uh, if we could be on the same page about him.

[00:15:08] I would welcome that.

[00:15:09] Right.

[00:15:11] But I think we should just keep an eye on him, you know?

[00:15:14] Alright.

[00:15:15] And if this happens again, maybe it warrants a bit of a deeper conversation without Iris around,

[00:15:21] because I don't think we're gonna get anywhere with her looking over our shoulder, if you know what I mean.

[00:15:27] I do.

[00:15:28] Alright.

[00:15:28] Then we're on the same page about this, then.

[00:15:30] I think so.

[00:15:31] I read we'll give a very affirmative, like, yeah, no, I got your back.

[00:15:35] And then Kel will kind of nod back, nod to Arnor, and she'll head out and go find where Siraco took Yakimo.

[00:15:41] Bread will head up towards Finn.

[00:15:42] Arnor is going to head towards Finn as well.

[00:15:45] In the room with Yakimo and Siraco, Siraco will get Yakimo set up by tying him to a chair.

[00:15:51] In Tailek, Yakimo, you must understand.

[00:15:53] I do not want to tie you to this chair, but I have to, because you have proven yourself untrustworthy.

[00:16:00] Have I, though?

[00:16:00] No, please, tell me.

[00:16:03] One thing that I have said that was untrue.

[00:16:06] No, no, no, no, no, no, no.

[00:16:07] I never said you were a liar.

[00:16:09] I said you were untrustworthy, because I come to you offering peace, friendship.

[00:16:15] I say maybe we can be allies, and you take that and you shit all over it.

[00:16:20] So now you can understand why I am upset, and why I do not trust you.

[00:16:26] That does not mean that I am untrustworthy.

[00:16:29] That means that I am what you might call that I thought I had found a kindred soul in, an opportunist.

[00:16:36] I can understand that.

[00:16:38] So, I will now take this opportunity, as an opportunist myself, to ask you, where is your camp located?

[00:16:46] That is a delicate matter.

[00:16:49] You see, I have a fear that you will go after it, should I reveal its location.

[00:16:55] Iacomo, let me explain exactly what my intentions are.

[00:16:58] We will go to your camp with sword and crossbow, and with whatever Finn is,

[00:17:06] and we will take all of your supplies, because you were correct.

[00:17:09] We do not have much here, and we need what you have.

[00:17:12] In exchange for that, we can give you your life.

[00:17:16] Now, if you do not want to play this game with me, that is fine.

[00:17:20] We can kill you, and then go on a boar hunt like I wanted to this morning, instead of dealing with the likes of you.

[00:17:27] Okay, okay, okay.

[00:17:28] I much prefer the other guy.

[00:17:31] Iacomo, maybe we got off on the wrong foot.

[00:17:34] Yes, yes, I believe, I believe we have.

[00:17:37] The individual who I bartered with before, he is not here then, is he?

[00:17:42] You all have come around and kicked him out as well.

[00:17:47] It seems a thing you do, at least you threaten to.

[00:17:49] He always had many coins for me.

[00:17:52] And who exactly was this person that had much coin?

[00:17:56] As far as I can tell, there are all not many people around.

[00:18:00] Oh, no, no.

[00:18:01] But traders came through often enough, and he supplied them well.

[00:18:05] He supplied us well, too.

[00:18:07] Not disturb the traders.

[00:18:09] These traders, where do they come from?

[00:18:12] Where indeed.

[00:18:14] Iacomo, are you telling me that you do not know where the traders came from?

[00:18:18] Or you are not telling me?

[00:18:21] You see, Sorocco, why would I tell you?

[00:18:25] Because, as some of the other members of my company might say, we have your balls in a vice.

[00:18:33] And he'll give a little nod to Kai.

[00:18:35] Kai has been overhearing this and has been actually pacing back and forth, almost stalking her prey behind Iacomo.

[00:18:43] And will let out an exasperated groan with this back and forth between Sorocco and Iacomo.

[00:18:50] And was like, enough.

[00:18:52] Tell us the information.

[00:18:54] We know you know more than you're letting on.

[00:18:56] And she'll actually bring out her dagger, and she'll gently caress across his jawline.

[00:19:03] And will, at the very last moment, as she says that, will nick him in the ear.

[00:19:07] And he'll just, ah!

[00:19:08] Your friends are barbaric, Sorocco.

[00:19:11] You do not know the half of it.

[00:19:13] Now, these traders, where did they come from?

[00:19:16] Where were they going?

[00:19:18] Who else is in this area?

[00:19:20] These traders, they were always well-stocked.

[00:19:23] But, ah, they traveled long and far.

[00:19:26] I believe from the Dusk coast.

[00:19:28] How often did they come through?

[00:19:30] Not too often.

[00:19:31] Perhaps once, maybe twice a month.

[00:19:35] At most, this man who lived here before always requested large packages.

[00:19:40] Though I was never privy to what was inside.

[00:19:43] As I mentioned, we were paid ansomely to protect them on their way.

[00:19:49] I see.

[00:19:49] Do you have a map?

[00:19:51] Uh, perhaps if I would be allowed to, uh, go back to my encampment, I could scrounge up a map for you.

[00:20:00] It is okay.

[00:20:02] I think you stay here with us for a little while.

[00:20:05] Yakimo, who else knows that we are here?

[00:20:07] I could not say.

[00:20:09] Other than all of my men.

[00:20:13] I hate the way you said that.

[00:20:15] And how did you know that we were here?

[00:20:18] And she's gonna bring her dagger to his neck.

[00:20:20] I did not know that you were here.

[00:20:23] We always come at the same prescribed time.

[00:20:26] Sometimes these, uh, traders have their own mercenaries that accompany them.

[00:20:32] And they are less inclined to relinquish this payment that the man always promised us.

[00:20:38] Hence the extra hands to help persuade them.

[00:20:42] Can Kai sense that there's anything off about what he's saying or that he's withholding information?

[00:20:47] Why don't you roll a hard vigilance check?

[00:20:53] And I'll upgrade it.

[00:20:55] I rolled two failures and then two advantage.

[00:20:58] So, with those advantage, I'm gonna say you know that he's not being particularly straightforward.

[00:21:07] But with the failures, you have kind of no through line, no idea of how to approach that.

[00:21:13] Other than just like brute forcing it.

[00:21:15] Which probably won't work.

[00:21:16] Good to know.

[00:21:18] It's at this point that Kai is enough behind Yakimo that he can't see her face.

[00:21:23] And she'll make eye contact with Sadako and will shake her head back and forth to communicate that this guy isn't being straightforward.

[00:21:30] Sadako will take a moment, few seconds of silence, kind of tap one of his fingers, stand up, pace around a little.

[00:21:39] And then he will look to Kel and he'll say,

[00:21:41] In Felish, you know that in Tela we have word for somebody like you.

[00:21:48] That word is Masasul.

[00:21:50] How you say?

[00:21:51] Worshipper of death?

[00:21:53] Very good at death, maybe?

[00:21:56] Devotee of death?

[00:21:57] I would imagine that a Masasul such as yourself could be much more persuasive in getting people to talk if I were to get the feeling that somebody in our present company was not telling us the whole truth.

[00:22:14] And as he says that, he'll swing his head over and look at Yakimo.

[00:22:19] Yakimo will beam at you with like the biggest shit-eating grin.

[00:22:24] And just be like, Oh, finally, Siraco, finally, you have grown some teeth, no?

[00:22:31] It is about time that we stop pussyfooting around.

[00:22:34] I agree, Lady Kel.

[00:22:36] And he will motion to Yakimo.

[00:22:38] Kel will look at Siraco and just kind of nod and step away from where she had been standing, kind of next to Iris, kind of in the background, just watching everything go down.

[00:22:46] And she'll say, Lethal or non-lethal?

[00:22:49] Leave him alive for more later.

[00:22:53] Understand?

[00:22:53] I got you.

[00:22:54] And she'll kind of walk around and she'll slowly just pull Truthseeker out of the scabbard.

[00:22:59] She'll kind of hold it, swing it in her hand a few times, and she'll stand in front of Yakimo.

[00:23:04] How does he look when I approach him?

[00:23:06] He looks so happy.

[00:23:07] It's uncanny.

[00:23:09] Okay.

[00:23:10] I'm going to cut off his leg.

[00:23:13] Yeah!

[00:23:14] Yeah!

[00:23:16] Where are you aiming for?

[00:23:17] I'm going to go for the kneecap.

[00:23:19] All right.

[00:23:19] You're going to get four boosts.

[00:23:23] I rolled six successes and six advantages.

[00:23:27] Wowzers, bowsers.

[00:23:29] That's like the medical knowledge of bread, like to, you know, get the precision of that.

[00:23:35] You don't know what Kel's been up to.

[00:23:36] She's 70 years old.

[00:23:37] You don't know what she's been up to.

[00:23:39] That's like 35.

[00:23:42] This sword swipe comes down and he's still in his clothing and armor and such.

[00:23:48] It doesn't say glance off him.

[00:23:50] It digs beneath this padded armor underneath his more ornamental stuff.

[00:23:55] It does not completely slice through, but it like goes underneath the kneecap and you can hear it like pop off of those connecting tendons and stuff with this little bloody squelch as you rip your sword out of it.

[00:24:07] You haven't disconnected his leg entirely, but you can see that he's immediately like woozy and just...

[00:24:22] Now I have a question for you, Yakimo.

[00:24:25] Would you like a matching set or would you like to cooperate with us now?

[00:24:32] Oh, Masasul, you know, you are kind.

[00:24:37] They are lovers.

[00:24:39] Where I came from, we would tie bricks to your feet and toss you in the sea.

[00:24:47] Perhaps you would do well at the bottom of the ocean as well.

[00:24:50] We could do that if that's really what you want.

[00:24:53] Because, I mean, we got plenty of rubble around here.

[00:24:55] We got plenty of rope.

[00:24:57] Oh, yes.

[00:24:58] You want to kill yourself for me?

[00:25:00] I'm going to try and cut off his leg again.

[00:25:02] I'm going to take another swing because he's being an asshole.

[00:25:04] I'm going to forfeit the boosts and just award you eight advantages on top of what you roll.

[00:25:11] That's a lot of numbers.

[00:25:12] A lot of symbols.

[00:25:13] Okay.

[00:25:13] I rolled three successes and 12 advantage.

[00:25:17] Crit.

[00:25:18] See what happens.

[00:25:20] All right.

[00:25:23] 72.

[00:25:23] For hamstrung, as your sword slices through again, instead of coming like down and out, popping off the knee, now it goes in and it cuts down into like his upper thigh.

[00:25:35] And you feel the sword like reverberating in your hands as it scrapes along his femur.

[00:25:41] And you just like sheer bone and flesh.

[00:25:44] Now he just screams.

[00:25:47] There we go.

[00:25:48] So, Yakimo, Yakimo, stay with me.

[00:25:51] And Sorako is going to approach and smack his face.

[00:25:54] Yakimo, Yakimo.

[00:25:55] Okay.

[00:25:56] Okay.

[00:25:56] Come on.

[00:25:57] The shock is setting and he's back speaking Talish now.

[00:25:59] And I think Kel seeing that, she'll pull her sword free and just kind of back up a bit and give Sorako the floor.

[00:26:04] You think I'm playing games, Yakimo?

[00:26:06] Okay.

[00:26:06] You want to see games?

[00:26:08] We have more of this.

[00:26:09] Now tell me where the camp is or I will get the information from one of your men.

[00:26:13] My men, they don't talk.

[00:26:18] I like the other guy more.

[00:26:23] You can see he's like borderline delirious.

[00:26:26] Tell me, Yakimo, who was the other man?

[00:26:30] We never met him.

[00:26:33] We never met him.

[00:26:35] How did you get the money?

[00:26:39] He left it after the traders had returned.

[00:26:44] To port de soleil.

[00:26:48] Ah.

[00:26:50] We left it in the dead drops.

[00:26:53] We never saw him.

[00:26:55] Where's the dead drop?

[00:26:57] They were different.

[00:26:59] Every time.

[00:27:00] It is not important.

[00:27:03] It was only money.

[00:27:05] What do you want, Sorako?

[00:27:07] Where is your camp?

[00:27:09] Because I want to know that after we are done here, your men do not come and try to slit our throats in the night.

[00:27:17] There are no more men.

[00:27:21] We take the hole to port de soleil.

[00:27:26] We robbed the traders blind anyway.

[00:27:30] The man.

[00:27:31] I think he'll find out once.

[00:27:33] He killed 15, 20 of my guys.

[00:27:38] My sweet voice.

[00:27:40] Is there anything else that you can tell me about this man?

[00:27:44] You tell me his name?

[00:27:46] What he looks like?

[00:27:47] What he likes to eat for breakfast?

[00:27:49] I only see him once.

[00:27:51] When he stormed into camp.

[00:27:53] Threaten us.

[00:27:54] What did he look like?

[00:27:56] Great beast of a man.

[00:27:59] And shining.

[00:28:00] Still.

[00:28:02] Impenetrable.

[00:28:03] I only ever hear his growl.

[00:28:07] His voice.

[00:28:08] I never see his face, Sorako.

[00:28:10] I promise you.

[00:28:12] You know something, Yakimo?

[00:28:14] I believe you.

[00:28:15] And then he will retreat a little bit from Yakimo.

[00:28:19] Kel.

[00:28:19] Put him out of his misery.

[00:28:21] Eris will nod.

[00:28:22] All right.

[00:28:23] I'll cut his head off.

[00:28:24] You do so.

[00:28:26] One clean stroke.

[00:28:28] Looking to everybody in the group.

[00:28:29] Does anyone have a problem with how that was handled?

[00:28:33] No, exactly how I would have handled it.

[00:28:36] But I believe that there's a more delicate way to approach this.

[00:28:40] Yes.

[00:28:40] And Kai, I believe nobody thought of it before to check his body and to check if there's any belongings on his person.

[00:28:48] Anything in his pockets?

[00:28:49] Anything in his armor?

[00:28:50] Anything like that?

[00:28:51] Oh, just a 7-Eleven receipt.

[00:28:53] Nice.

[00:28:55] For a lotto ticket and a slurpee.

[00:28:59] For anyone that might look, not that I know that anyone might if we're going through, if we're rifling through this man's pockets.

[00:29:06] Kel has a very distant look in her eyes.

[00:29:08] She's still standing there and she's present, but she's not really looking at anyone.

[00:29:12] And she's not really looking at the body.

[00:29:14] She's kind of just like that thousand yard stare.

[00:29:17] Just a little bit.

[00:29:18] That's pretty much all you can see of her face.

[00:29:20] It's just her eyes above her mask.

[00:29:22] But if anyone is looking, that's what you would see.

[00:29:24] Eris will just survey the situation.

[00:29:27] Kind of sidestep this pool of blood that is slowly creeping along the stone.

[00:29:32] And say, no, you did well.

[00:29:34] I think we could have gotten past the pussyfooting a little quicker.

[00:29:38] But what he's done is done.

[00:29:40] I'm going to check on the others.

[00:29:42] It has been a day.

[00:29:44] And Eris will excuse herself and leave.

[00:29:47] While we flash up and back a little bit to Finn heading toward his room with Bread and Arnor in tow.

[00:29:54] I guess how close are the others to Finn as he's walking up?

[00:29:57] Like, did he have enough time to like be walking by himself or?

[00:30:00] For sure.

[00:30:01] Okay.

[00:30:01] He just makes a straight line for his room.

[00:30:04] Goes there.

[00:30:04] Shuts the door.

[00:30:05] And just to be clear, this is where Ethelward was staying, correct?

[00:30:08] Or where you assume he was staying?

[00:30:09] The little workshop?

[00:30:10] The top room in the tower where the little booby trap was.

[00:30:13] The only furnished room?

[00:30:14] Yes.

[00:30:15] While Bread and Arnor are walking to Finn's room, Arnor will address Bread.

[00:30:20] What are you hoping to discuss with him?

[00:30:22] I'm more hoping to keep an eye on him than discuss anything.

[00:30:25] I don't know that he's exactly up to discussion at the moment.

[00:30:28] I suppose that's true.

[00:30:30] Why do you ask?

[00:30:31] I've known Finn for a bit.

[00:30:34] I am concerned about my friend.

[00:30:36] I think Bread will give Arnor a very warm smile at that.

[00:30:39] Like a genuinely like, that's nice.

[00:30:41] Kind of like, I appreciate that somebody here gives a crap.

[00:30:46] And with that, I imagine they have made it to Finn's door and to knock.

[00:30:52] Or at least Arnor is going to knock.

[00:30:54] I don't know if Bread wants to.

[00:30:55] No, go ahead.

[00:30:56] The knock is greeted just by Finn's voice initially coming faintly back through the door.

[00:31:04] What is it?

[00:31:05] I was wondering if you might have a moment.

[00:31:07] And after several prolonged seconds, you do hear that this locking mechanism that he had built on the inside of the door begins to unshackle.

[00:31:17] And the door creaks open, unveiling just his slightly mangled looking face, the bulging veins, and his eyes.

[00:31:27] Which have this dark purple glow and swirl behind them.

[00:31:33] And he just looks through the crack at you.

[00:31:36] Is Bread like right next to Arnor?

[00:31:39] Or did Bread kind of hang back a little bit?

[00:31:41] No, I mean, he's probably like a step back from Arnor.

[00:31:44] But he's not like hiding his presence from Finn at all.

[00:31:48] So Finn sees Arnor first.

[00:31:50] Kind of subconsciously, the door starts to swing open a little bit.

[00:31:53] And then his eyes dart over to Bread.

[00:31:55] And the door like quickly reverts back to a more shut state.

[00:32:00] And what is it that you two would like?

[00:32:02] Bread is here for his own reasons, and I am here for my own.

[00:32:06] I would like to see how you are doing.

[00:32:09] I was rather surprised about your appearance and your transformation.

[00:32:13] But you seem to retain the man that I've always known.

[00:32:16] Are you doing okay?

[00:32:18] I am doing alright.

[00:32:19] As usual.

[00:32:20] As he's talking, the door does begin to swing more open to kind of a more amenable distance for his full body showing.

[00:32:28] And you could feasibly walk through if anybody wanted to.

[00:32:31] I am just tired.

[00:32:33] We have not eaten all day ever since we've arrived here.

[00:32:37] It's been unsettling.

[00:32:40] This, he says, just gesturing to himself.

[00:32:44] This is punishment for doing the work experiments.

[00:32:51] It's, ah.

[00:32:52] And it's, again, the strain is like visible on his face.

[00:32:56] And so he kind of, in frustration, just throws like a hand in the air and turns and starts walking back into the room.

[00:33:03] And as he does so, you can see just all these various bits and bobs scattered across the floor from his tinkerings the night before.

[00:33:11] The device on the floor and on the wall is completely dismantled.

[00:33:15] Not even any sort of resemblance to what it had been before.

[00:33:18] But there is a small corner off on the side where a desk had been that is fairly well kept with just a single book lying on it open.

[00:33:27] And Finn goes over and shuts the book as he kind of sits down and then looks back at the door if anybody's walking in.

[00:33:34] Would you mind if I took a look at you?

[00:33:36] Be my guest.

[00:33:38] Alright.

[00:33:39] Bread will step into the room.

[00:33:40] He does not mind the mess.

[00:33:42] And he, as long as Finn is willing, will perform a very thorough survey of this phenomenon that is going on.

[00:33:49] He puts up no resistance.

[00:33:51] Just what Bread was hoping.

[00:33:53] I think that Bread is particularly interested in the way that Void is interacting with Finn's body.

[00:34:02] And, like, what Finn's tolerance for it is.

[00:34:06] If he can find any sort of indication of, like, why that might be or how that came about.

[00:34:11] He's very interested in this particular way that Void is interacting with the body.

[00:34:16] And this is his area of expertise.

[00:34:19] In that case, I will require of you, because though this may be your area of expertise,

[00:34:26] you have never encountered something exactly like this.

[00:34:29] Oh, for sure.

[00:34:30] Yeah.

[00:34:30] So this will be a formidable.

[00:34:31] That's five.

[00:34:33] And I'm going to upgrade it to Forbidden Knowledge Check.

[00:34:36] But you'll get a boost.

[00:34:38] I probably don't have very good Forbidden Knowledge.

[00:34:41] That wouldn't surprise me.

[00:34:44] In the interest of not being selfish, I won't steal a point from the pool since I'm going to be taking two later.

[00:34:51] Oh, that didn't go well.

[00:34:53] Seven failure, one advantage.

[00:34:55] You actually feel like you're on the cusp of a breakthrough as you're looking over Finn's form.

[00:35:02] You're tracing the lines of these engorged veins.

[00:35:06] You're examining these different void-filled polyps that have sprung up under his skin and these other strange phenomena.

[00:35:16] And then you hear a knock at the door, just like two fist pounds against it that completely jolt you out of this hyper-focused state and back to reality as your findings are just completely scrambled.

[00:35:31] And Iris stands in the doorway saying,

[00:35:34] What are you doing?

[00:35:35] What does it look like I'm doing?

[00:35:37] It looks like you're bothering Finn.

[00:35:39] And I think it would be best, hmm, if we could leave each other alone.

[00:35:43] Ah no, you're needed downstairs.

[00:35:45] We have rooms to furnish and supplies to cordon off from the crew, if you don't mind helping.

[00:35:51] Very well.

[00:36:00] I don't think you can remedy a cut off head.

[00:36:03] Bread doesn't know that he's currently headless.

[00:36:06] Yeah, Iris is...

[00:36:07] Iris is playing games.

[00:36:09] She wants Finn by himself.

[00:36:11] I mean, Bread does not like or get along with Iris very well.

[00:36:15] He narrows his eyes at her and says,

[00:36:17] Yes, ma'am.

[00:36:18] And we'll leave.

[00:36:18] Iris closes the door after Arnor and Bread are sufficiently down the hall,

[00:36:24] and she just looks at Finn with a weary gaze and goes,

[00:36:28] I thought we had agreed that you would contain this better.

[00:36:33] I thought we had agreed that you would handle situations like this.

[00:36:38] Then allow me to handle it.

[00:36:40] And she slowly starts to channel void in her palm.

[00:36:45] Downstairs.

[00:36:47] Uh-oh.

[00:36:50] Bread will go ask for directions for, you know, just sort of like arriving on the landing to say,

[00:36:55] Anybody know where I can find Yakmar?

[00:36:57] Sent to tend to him.

[00:36:58] Sent to tend to him, eh?

[00:37:01] Oh yeah, sure.

[00:37:02] He's just down the hall.

[00:37:04] Second door on the left.

[00:37:05] Watch out for that one.

[00:37:06] He's a real talker.

[00:37:08] LAUGHTER

[00:37:11] Bread will nod at Kai and head that direction.

[00:37:14] As you go that direction, just outside the door, as you grip the handle, you hear this little, like, clip.

[00:37:20] And looking down, your shoe is just stepping in this puddle of blood that has seeped under the door.

[00:37:25] And as you push it open, you see Kel get to her feet, having just completed something.

[00:37:31] You missed all the fun.

[00:37:32] And I'll just kind of pat Bread on the shoulder and walk out.

[00:37:35] And I'm leaving little footprints everywhere because my shoes are so dim blood.

[00:37:39] For a split second, Bread wonders what Kel was doing.

[00:37:42] And then realizes that he is in a room alone with someone who is dead.

[00:37:47] And will just sort of step back a step, quietly close the door, and say,

[00:37:52] Well, I'm never one to miss an opportunity.